Cost of Living in Singapore for Indian Students in 2025
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Cost of Living in Singapore for Indian Students in 2025

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Raj
Raj Vimal
Study Abroad Expert
Updated on Dec 13, 2024 15:57 IST
The cost of living in Singapore is higher than in India. Singapore is one of the most expensive countries in the world. To cover the cost of study and living expenses students need a good budget. The monthly living expenses in Singapore for Indian students is SGD 1,480 ( INR 95,129) excluding rent.
cost of living in singapore

Understanding the cost of living in Singapore is important if you are planning to study there. Singapore is a popular study destination among Indians due to its high-quality education, ample job opportunities and more. As an Indian student, you need to keep a big portion of your monthly budget for accommodation, transportation, food, and other daily expenses. According to Numbeo, the cost of living in Singapore is SGD 1,480 (INR 95,220). This amount does not include the house rent as it depends upon the area you are living in.

Student Accommodation in Singapore located near the universities is expensive as they are located in the city centre. A student planning to move to Singapore for study should keep a budget of SGD10,000 (INR 6.43 Lakhs)* for the first three months month expenses. In this blog, we are going to discuss all kinds of living expenses that you'll need to cover during your study in Singapore.

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Cost of Living in Singapore 

It is important to note that rentals may vary from university to university and an amount is only an average number. The range of house rent usually varies from S$150 – S$800. Also, the amounts shared are for students living at university hostels. A private room/ hostel would be costlier and the costs keep increasing. Independent accommodation in private housing would cost you upwards of S$1000.

Starting with the basic expenses that worry every student before planning their study abroad trip, we present a simple tabulated average expense of necessities like accommodation, transport, and food.

Head

Cost of Living in Singapore Month 

Rent

2,700-3600

Utility Expenses 250

Food & Grocery

400

Clothing & Shoes

100

Transport

105 

Entertainment

100

Total

3,655 to 4555

Food Expenses in Singapore

Studying abroad has its own novelties and unique features which a domestic study option never truly compares to. So we present a basic breakdown of different means of food. Have a peak at the costs which would give you a fair enough understanding of the additional pocket money you would want.

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Particulars

In SD

In INR

Street Food for 1

$4-$8

243.73-487.47

Meal at McDonald's

$7

426.53

Meal for two at an average restaurant

$54

3,290.41

Pepsi/Coke

$2

121.87

Beer

$5.90

359.51

Milk 1 Litre

$3.40

207.17

White Bread Loaf

$2.40

146.24

12 Eggs

$3.30

201.08

1.5 litre Water Bottle

$1.40

85.31

Cottage Cheese

$20

1,218.67

Hence, it can be safely said that to enjoy an occasional meal, a movie in a month or even just a cup of coffee would require you to have around S$300 – S$500 per month as your entertainment expenses/ pocket money.








Read: Part Time Work Options in Singapore for Indian Students

Miscellaneous Expenses in Singapore

Apart from the above, as a student, you might also need to worry about books and stationary, internet and phone bills, a haircut and even perhaps an occasional trip to a clinic.







Specifics

In SD

In INR

Internet (monthly tariff)

$45

2,742.01

Call rates/minute (prepaid)

$0.2

12.19

Books and Stationary

$150

9,140.02

Haircut

$35

2,139

A single visit to Polyclinic

$15

914

Gym membership fee

$153

9,322.82

2 Movie Ticket

$26

1,584.27

Taxi Trip

$13 for five miles

792.14

Private Doctor

$57 per visit

3,473.21

Toiletries

$21

1,279.60

To sum up, Singapore weighs more or less similar to other study-abroad destinations when it comes to the cost of living. What scores for Indian Students is the proximity and the easy jobs. Students, as such, can work for up to 16 hours a week in Singapore during their classes. With no minimum wages, you can actually earn decent pocket money. Though it would not be enough to offset or help with the tuition fees, they can surely come in handy and help you enjoy your stay in Singapore.

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Cost of Studying in Singapore

Different universities set up different tuition fees for their courses in Singapore just like in any other country. How much would a student have to pay will depend upon the university location, recognition, chosen programme, level of study, etc. The amount tends to change over time and it is recommended that students frequently visit the official website of the universities to get the latest available information. 

  • Tuition Fee for UG Courses: Overseas students may have to pay anything between S$20,000 to S$45,000 per annum for undergraduate courses. The fee for courses such as medicine, engineering, and business is usually fixed high.
  • Tuition Fee for PG Courses: International students may have to pay anything between S$25,000 to S$50,000 per annum for undergraduate courses. The fee for courses such as medicine, engineering, and business is usually fixed high.
  • PhD or Doctoral Courses: The fee can range from S$15,000 to S$30,000 annually. Most of the time students have to pay less for this level of programme as compared to a PG course.

Now that students are aware of the overall cost of living in Singapore, they should consider applying for scholarships to reduce their costs. For help with university applications, students seeking to study abroad can contact our Shiksha Study Abroad Counsellors. The comments section below allows candidates to contact us as well.

Q:   Is Singapore Management University hard to get into?

A:

According to various sources, Singapore Management University has an acceptance rate of around 45% which makes it moderately selective for international student admissions. Some of the general admission requirements at the university are given as follows:

  • Academic Transcripts 
  • International Qualifications that are equivalent 
  • Standardized Test Scores 
  • Proof of English Language Proficiency 

After the student receives an offer letter, they are required to give the admission interview to be enrolled. 

Q:   How can I apply for NUS Singapore from India?

A:

Applications to all the courses offered by NUS are done via online application portals of the university. Check out the steps below to see how to fill undergraduate and postgraduate applications on dedicated portals:

Undergraduate Applicants:

International applicants need to follow these steps to apply to an undergraduate programme at NUS:

Step 1: Visit myaces.nus.edu.sg/uasonline2/catD/catDapplform.do and sign up to apply.

Step 2: Enter personal details and contact information.

Step 3: Enter details of academic qualifications.

Step 4: Enter information on university/tertiary education.

Step 5: Enter the information on all outstanding achievements.

Step 6: Insert the programme details and paste the application material in the boxes provided.

Step 7: In this step, input the following:

  • Next-of-kin information
  • Personal identification number
  • Application fee
  • Financial aid
  • Other information
  • Tuition grant

Step 8: Read the declaration carefully.

Step 9: Press the ‘Continue’ button to complete the application.

Graduate Applicants

International applicants need to follow these steps to apply to a graduate programme at NUS:

Step 1: Sign up on the university’s application portal at inetapps.nus.edu.sg/gda2/Applicant.aspx/Account/SignUp.

Step 2: Click on ‘Create New Application’ and choose the following:

  • Programme type
  • Faculty
  • Programme
  • Department
  • Specialisation (area of study)
  • Source of finance
  • Specify in case of ‘other source of finance’
  • Academic load

Step 3: Read the instructions from the faculty/department/school carefully.

Step 4: Fill up the information as stepping through the application process.

Step 5: The system will perform an application completeness check for the selected programme.

Step 6: Once the above steps are completed, fill up the declaration section.

Step 7: Click on the 'Submit' button in the declaration page to complete the submission.

Step 8: To make an online payment for the application/acceptance fee and view details of your application (e.g. application status and admission status), click ‘View Application/Make Payment/Submit Reply on Offer of Admission’ at the menu on the left.

Step 9: To make changes to basic programme information for an application, click ‘Edit’.

Step 10: To apply to multiple programmes within the same application cycle and to change the order of preference, please click on the ‘Up’ and ‘Down’ links as required.

 

Q:   Is NTU Singapore expensive?

A:

The NTU tuition fees is S$36,336.45 for international students. Apart from this, students also need to pay University-level miscellaneous fees The tuition fee for undergraduate courses for Nanyang Technological University is similar to NUS. First of all, students need to pay a non-refundable application fee of S$21.40. After accepting the offer, international students need to pay S$5,000 as non-refundable fee. This deposit fee can be used to offset the first tuition fee payment.

Q:   What is the population of MBA students and faculty at INSEAD Singapore?

A:

There are around 20,000+ students and 5,500+ faculty at INSEAD Singapore. 
However, it is difficult to be sure about the same because of new admissions taking place.
The INSEAD website states that there are over 145 full-time faculty from more than 30 countries. 
The exact numbers may vary depending on the year and the source.

Q:   Does INSEAD - Singapore accept Indian students?

A:

Certainly yes, INSEAD - Singapore accepts admission applications from all across the globe including India as well. Indian students applying at INSEAD - Singapore are required to meet the eligibility criteria for the respective choice of course along with a qualifying score in the English language proficiency test like IELTS. 

Q:   How can an Indian student get admission to INSEAD - Singapore?

A:

As an Indian student, complete the following steps to be admitted to INSEAD in Singapore:

  • Academic Qualifications: Ascertain that you have a solid academic background and a bachelor's degree or its equivalent from a reputable institution.
  • Work Experience: INSEAD favors individuals with relevant professional backgrounds. 
  • GMAT/GRE: Get ready for and take the GMAT or GRE because admissions officers frequently want these scores.
  • English proficiency: You'll probably need to provide test results as confirmation of your English competence if English isn't your first language

Q:   What is the JCU Singapore cost of living for international students?

A:

James Cook University Singapore does not offer on-campus accommodation for their students. However, students can find various types of housing options nearby for accommodation purposes. Listed below is the JCU Singapore cost of living for international students:

Facilities

Cost of Living (per month)

Cost in INR

Accommodation

SGD 550 - 2,000

INR 33K - 1.2L

Meals

SGD 450 - 600

INR 27K - 37K

Public transportation

SGD 100 - 150

INR 6K - 9K

Telecom

SGD 30 - 50

INR 1.8K - 3K

Personal Expenses

SGD 100 - 400

INR 6K - 24K

Train fare (Daily Average)

SGD 0.92 - 2.17 (per trip)

INR 50 - 150

Taxi fare (Daily Average)

SGD 3.20 to 3.90 (per trip)

INR 200 - 250

Bus fare (Daily Average)

SGD 0.92 - 2.17 per trip

INR 50 - 150

TOTAL

SGD 1230 - 3200

INR 73.8K - 3.86L

Conversion Used: 1 SGD (Singapore Dollar) = INR 61.69

Q:   Which are the popular courses at Singapore Management University?

A:
  • Business and Management.
  • Banking and finance.
  • IT and Computing.
  • Engineering.
  • Tourism and Hospitality.
  • Architecture.
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Raj Vimal
Study Abroad Expert

Raj Vimal has experience of 7+ years in SEO Content Writing, which includes 5+ years in the Ed-Tech industry. He has written articles about studying abroad, especially in the USA, UK, and other English-speaking coun... Read Full Bio

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Comments

(7)

K

Kartik Sharma

4 years ago

Am I able to do part-time job in Singapore while persuading my ACCA as an international student and will I be able to earn my monthly expenses excluding my fees

Reply to Kartik Sharma

R

Rahul Singha

4 years ago

Hello Kartik. to know more about part-time work in Singapore go through our detailed story here: https://studyabroad.shiksha.com/part-time-work-options-in-singapore-for-indian-students-articlepage-965. Also kindly note that working part-time will not cover your living expenses. part-time earnings a

...more

A

A K

4 years ago

Is it worth spending S$ 38,000 to study MA Applied Linguistics from NIE, NTU Singapore_August 2020? What are the job prospects in Singapore for an experienced teacher (from India) with this degree?

Reply to A K

R

Rahul Singha

4 years ago

hello AK. Check out our article on job prospects in Singapore here: https://studyabroad.shiksha.com/job-prospects-for-indian-students-in-singapore-articlepage-2283

6 years ago

What is the accurate accomdation amount for indian student......

Reply to

7 years ago

I have 3 lacs inr for 6 month stay in singapore as a student... is this enough amount....

Reply to

8 years ago

I am Indian and want to study in Singapore.Will i be able to manage with S$10000 for one year? Excluding hostel fees.

Reply to

yes you definitely can but i think you would have finished your studies by now